


The Arcana Drabbles

by JungTaco



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Fantasy, Fluff, Lucio (The Arcana) Is A Little Shit, Lucio (The Arcana) Route, M/M, Magic, Muriel Route (The Arcana), Portia Devorak's Route, Romantic Fluff, Soft Muriel (The Arcana), muriel fluff, portia fluff, soft portia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-05
Updated: 2020-04-21
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:35:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23496157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JungTaco/pseuds/JungTaco
Summary: Someone's ramblings about some magical people.
Relationships: Apprentice/Lucio (The Arcana), Apprentice/Muriel (The Arcana), Apprentice/Portia Devorak
Comments: 14
Kudos: 52





	1. Where Muriel lets the apprentice go through his personal gate with him

As we step through Muriel’s personal gate I can feel all my anxieties becoming distant thoughts and quickly fading away. I can feel his warm hand around mine, gentle as ever. When I look at him I can’t help a feeling of pride just blooming in me. He has come so far. Once upon a time he would barely say a word to me. And now he let me come here with him, the most intimate place he could be. He still doesn’t speak much, but that’s okay. He looks back at me, not averting his gaze, expression as calm as it could ever be.

Tearing my eyes away from him is hard, but I do so, in the end, finally looking properly at everything. The shade of the thick forest is comforting, even just protecting us from the early morning light, specks of which pour weakly through the foliage. The bark of the trees is black as night, but slivers of gold adorn it here and there, pulsating with magic and glowing almost imperceptibly. Some of them flow in swirly patterns, like ink spilled in water.

We walk slowly, taking in the trills of the birds. I can hear rustling in bushes every now and again, and even distant sounds of chickens, but no animal crosses our path. At some point I catch a glimpse of a tail speckled with golden dust, but it quickly disappears among the trees. Everyone seems to be shy.

“How is it?” The question sounds as if he has been pondering it for a while.

“It’s just like you.”

“And that’s... good?” That wasn’t meant to be a question, but it came off like one anyway.

“Yes. Yes, it’s good.” I laugh and press my lips against his cheek, feeling him smile. “It’s beautiful. Just-“

“Don’t.” The smile turns into a frown, but he looks like he’s struggling not to return to it.

“Juuust like...”

“I’m kicking you out.”

I kiss his cheek again, laughing at his reaction.

“Very funny, Muriel. But you like me too much. Alsoyou’rebeautiful.” I manage to blurt out, and he parts his lips to say something, looking at me disappointed. But he just shakes his head and turns his face away from me, not to let me see him laugh. But I know he’s doing it anyway.

Playful as I was, I meant it. I squeeze his hand to make him look at me again as we continue our stroll. Instead of saying anything, I take off my shoes, to feel the soft grass under my bare feet. It meets my skin like a soft carpet. I wiggle my toes and look at Muriel, who just stands there for a while, but in the end, he just follows suit.

“This is nice I guess.”

We leave out shoes next to a tree and I cast a small protection spell over them. No need to worry about them being stolen or destroyed by animals.

The silence is pleasant with Muriel. Unlike in the beginning, there’s no tension between us now. We don’t have to worry about words left unsaid and words logged in the back of someone’s mind. Heavy words that just wouldn’t budge. Because now they did, only a little bit more easily. Now if there was silence, it wasn’t to hide anything.

However, I had to ask,

“Are we going somewhere specific?”

“Yes.”

“Oh.” From the corner of my eye I see a golden squirrel, swiftly disappearing in the canopy of leaves. “So you’re not telling me.”

“No.”

He smiles when I look at him. I would trade anything for that smile.

But if I tell him that, he might really kick me out.

Some time later, the trees become more scarce, until finally we reach a clearing. Above us we can see the faint remnants of Southern lights, swirling in greens and blues, dissolving into the gradient of the sky. It still appears to be early morning, even though it feels like hours have passed. And like the sky, I don’t feel tired of walking for so long, if it has even been so long.

A lake is lain in front of us, reflecting the image above almost crystal clear. Tiny islands float on its surface, and when we’re close enough I can see they’re not islands at all, but turtles, swimming unbothered, their shells covered in all sorts of flowers. Small, golden lights are dancing around them. Fireflies.

“Will they be scared if we approach?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t tried.”

I pull his hand as I hurry towards one of the closest turtles, which is close enough to the shore. The water rises to our knees as we approach the creature floating away from us ever so slowly.

All shades of blue speckled with white here and there adorn this one. I can’t tell if the flowers grew from its back or are just attached to it. Together with the fireflies, it looks like it’s ready for some sort of festival.

“Are they always here like this?”

“As far as I know.”

I don’t know if he’s aware that he still hasn’t let go of my hand since we took off our shoes. But I really don’t mind.

We just spend some more time there, watching the turtle distancing itself from us, as the sky turns a few shades lighter. Now it’s a pretty pink, unobstructed by any clouds.

“Is this where you wanted to take me?”

When he doesn’t respond I look at him, stop for a moment and then laugh at the sight. A firefly has settled on Muriel’s nose and it doesn’t seem like it was going anywhere soon. He’s frowning, trying not to move his face as to not scare the little fellow away.

“Don’t laugh.” As he speaks, the insect finally takes its leave. “See what you did?”

A moment later, he laughs as well while dragging me out of the water.

“We have one more stop.”

“Can’t wait.” I say as I dry out clothes with an easy spell.

We continue on our way, reentering the forest. It doesn’t take us much to reach what seems to be our destination. The largest tree we’ve seen yet. It’s hollow inside and so wide it’s almost as spacious as my guest room at the palace. Well, maybe not quite _that_ large. Portia’s living room would be a better comparison. The entrance so to speak is a perfectly arched hole, welcoming us. The tree is surrounded by a sea of tiny forget-me-nots. And if that’s not pretty enough, inside what awaits us is a group of small, sleeping bear cubs.

I gasp audibly and look at Muriel, to see him smiling fondly at the creatures as we enter. Their deep brown fur is decorated with the same swirly, moving patterns as the trees, almost as if they were family. The four babies are all over one another, in a confused, soft mess of paws and raising and descending bellies.

“They’re so cute! I think I’m gonna cry.”

Muriel’s low, rumbling laugh softens me even more.

He settles down, cross legged, and pats the spot next to him, so I do the same. He picks up two of the babies - they’re almost the same size as his hands – and places them on my lap ever so gently, then takes the other two. I pet their hands, only later realizing that fine glitter stuck to my skin.

We stroke them in silence for a while, looking at each other every now and again and smiling. I wouldn’t mind staying like this for a while and I think neither would he.

“Did you name them yet?” I finally ask.

“I didn’t think of it. Should we...?”

“I’m gonna name this guy Muriel.” I say as I pet one of the cubs on my lap, the biggest one of them, though not by much. Muriel’s cheeks redden just a bit.

“I’m not good at names. The chickens and Inanna have their own names, but these ones don’t speak like them. At least not yet.”

“How do you even understand them?” I was always curious, but I never got to ask.

“How do you _not?_ ” He asks as if it’s a normal thing to be able to do. I part my lips and close them a few times, undecided on how to respond.

“So you can’t explain it.”

He shrugs. We drop the subject in the end. Maybe some other time he will manage to make me understand. Or I will ask Asra.

An idea arises as I watch the forget-me-nots cradled by a soft wind. Afraid not to wake the cubs, I pick them up and put them on Muriel’s lap, with all the care I can muster. He looks at me amused, but I ignore it, as I crawl closer to outside. I pick a bunch of flowers before returning and settling back next to him.

He only reacts when I start clumsily arranging them in his hair.

“H-Hey...” He’s embarrassed, but doesn’t try to stop me.

“You’re cute like this.” I laugh as I put more baby blue flowers in his hair. “They suit you perfectly.”

He sighs and struggles to pick one of the flowers from his own hair, and then puts it behind my ear.

“It’s only fair.”

“Oh, thank you.” I kiss his cheek, scooting closer to him. Before I get to rest my head on his shoulder, he moves, setting the cubs on the dry grass where they had been sleeping before we arrived. Then he moves to lie down, placing his head on my lap, the gesture taking me by surprise. He’s tense at first, as if not knowing if what he’s doing was okay, as if he might have done something wrong. But when I card my fingers through his hair he relaxes, letting out a tiny, content sigh.

He’s facing away from me, so I can only imagine his face at this moment. I play with his hair, careful not to disrupt the already messy flowers too much. He seems to relax even more, his frame rising and falling with his breathing, and I assume he’s fallen asleep, but a murmur tells me I’m wrong.

My hand stops dead in its movement and I look at him, speechless.

“I love you,” he has said, words barely audible. But I did hear them right.

It’s not that I didn’t know. I just didn’t expect him to say it to me now. I never really expected it or thought he needed to. And although I was hoping I would say them some time, I held back for similar reasons.

“I... did I say something wrong?” He turns to look up at me, cheeks ablaze and green eyes filled with worry. But it passes right away as I grin down at him, unable to help myself.

“I love you too.” I say as I lean down and kiss him.


	2. Where Portia invites the apprentice over for tea and cuddles

Having spent the entire day in the library, focused on the books that are now lying in front of me every which way, I don’t realize the day almost passed. Surprised, I look up at the gentle rumble of rain outside. Only a few minutes ago the sun was shining over the spines of the books, glinting in the elegant gold and silver decorations that adorned most of them. Or at least that’s what it feels like.

Looking again at the pile of books I’ve inspected while investigating the count’s murder, I realize that I really did spent all day reading.

“Huh.”

I sigh as all the energy seems to just drop from my body. It feels like it would make a dull thump on the floor if it had a physical form. I discovered nothing helpful. The focus broken, now I can just barely arrange the books into relative order. The thought that I might have missed something important is nagging as I reluctantly close them, every now and again still attempting to find something of importance in them.

“You’ve done a lot today, I see.”

I almost throw the book back on the table, taken aback by the presence I haven’t felt behind me. I turn and see a giggling Portia. Even though there’s no sunshine anymore, her eyes are sparkling.

“I... didn’t hear you come in.” I can’t help a tired smile.

“I could see that. The countess told me to check on you.”

“Oh, I... haven’t done much progress.” I look down at the pile again and sigh. “Did she send for me? I’ll go right-“

“Wesley, calm down.” She promptly pushes me back down on the chair I was standing up from. “I was checking up on _you._ Not what you’re doing.” She smiles, eyes glinting playfully. I look away, trying to not let her see my probably blushing cheeks.

“So how are you? You look tired.” She continues. “You definitely need a break. Let’s get out of here.” I return to rearranging the books and I just know she rolls her eyes before she grabs my hand, pulling me out of my seat.

“You’ll return to them tomorrow anyway.”

“Yeah... You’re right.” I can’t focus on what’s coming out of my mouth when I feel her small hand in mine. She lets go for a few moments in order to lock the library door before she does it again, naturally, without overthinking it. Unlike me.

“Milady designed that door, did you know?”

“Really?”

As we see a servant approach I feel her grip weaken a bit, as if she’s going to let go, but she doesn’t. I glance at her and catch a shade of pink darker than usual. Is she embarrassed?

“Yeah, she’s amazing, isn’t she?” She reprises her usual demeanor as if nothing is out of the ordinary. _Maybe_ I’m overthinking things. “She should really learn how to take a compliment though. She says it’s just frivolous stuff, but it’s obviously not.”

I barely know where we are right now. We must have turned at least a dozen times and the corridors still all look the same to me. I try to orientate myself, but doing that while talking _and_ trying to not feel nervous is difficult.

“Maybe she just holds herself to high standards. She _is_ the countess after all. Um... Where are we going?” Despite my confusion about our whereabouts, I realize we’re not heading to my room.

“Yes, but still... Oh...” Her cheeks are bright again, but then she laughs, “I was just dragging you to my cottage without even asking. I’m sorry, I just wanted to treat you to some tea there.” She walks more slowly now. “Unless you’d rather just return to your room.”

Portia’s cottage? The thought makes me nervous, but not in a bad way. I manage an awkward smile as I shake my head as my free hand fidgets with the hem of my shirt. The fact that I’m aware of this embarrasses me even more, but I can’t seem to help it.

“No, I’d rather have some tea with you. If you don’t mind.”

“Of course I don’t mind, this was my idea!” She laughs heartily and picks up the pace again, giving a squeeze to my hand. “Umm... I didn’t realize I was holding your hand... without asking... again. But you didn’t seem to mind so...”

I press a quick kiss to her cheek, not giving myself the chance to change my mind.

“Oops, I didn’t ask for permission, but you didn’t seem to mind that either.” She freezes just for a few seconds, her eyes wide as she looks at me, and then laughs again, cheeks bright.

“You got me there. You’re a cheeky rascal, aren’t you? Though you’re hiding it well usually.”

“It comes with being a magician.”

“Of course it does. Hey, the rain is getting heavier, we should run maybe.”

We step through one of the secret portals of the palace and find ourselves outside, and she drags me along running. I _can_ manifest a magic shield to shelter us from the rain on our way there, but I decide it wouldn’t be as fun. Running from the rain, I feel like a kid, and making an umbrella is a totally way too mature way to use my magic.

By the time we reach inside, the rain pours heavily and we’re soaked down to the bone. We pant, grinning at each other, like we’ve done something we were not supposed to behind the adults’ backs.

“I can lend you some of my clothes. Wouldn’t want the magician investigator to catch a cold.” She signals for me to follow her.

“That won’t be necessary.” I say as I cast a quick spell, drying our clothes in a jiffy.

“Oh!” She looks at me surprised. “Or you could do that.”

She leads me to the kitchen, where I take a seat and immediately feel something soft and warm moving against my foot.

“ _Peep_!” I look down and, in the shadow of the table, I see a pair of blue, glinting eyes staring ominously at me. It’s Portia’s cat, I assume.

“That’s Pepi. Don’t worry, she doesn’t bite. Unless she dislikes you.” She speaks while rummaging through a cupboard, picking and choosing a few different boxes. “What kind of tea would you like? Salamander tail? Water peachberry? Hot bellybark? They’re all from milady’s collection. She gets all sorts of tea from all over the world, it’s so awesome! And she shares them with me!”

“I’ve never had hot bellybark. How is it?”

“It has a spicy tinge, but it’s also sweet. It’s so good!”

“Then I’ll have that.”

A few minutes later we sit in front of each other, legs tangled and two cups steaming in front of us. This is some exotic, expensive tea, but I can’t be too bothered with it when we’re so close. It almost feels too intimate.

“So, umm... I still have to ask...” She welcomed Pepi, who sprinted elegantly on her lap, “How’s the investigation going? Did you find anything?” Her legs retract for a bit, fidgeting under the table.

“Still nothing... Sorry. But I will.” She looks down at her cup, hands wrapped around it absently. She doesn’t try to hide the disappointment that arises at my lack of news and the fear for her brother. I can’t help but feel I should have worked harder, but... for the day I did do all that I could. “We will help him, I promise.” The corners of her mouth rise just a bit.

“Yeah. I saw how hard you were working. And I trust you.”

“T-Thanks.”

“The one whom I don’t trust with helping himself is Ilya.”

“Well... you trust Nadia, right?” I move to lay a hand on hers, but I change my mind before she can catch my movement.

“Yes...”

“She won’t allow anything to happen to someone innocent. And you know he is.” She sighs, petting Pepi’s head as the animal purrs and waggles her tail languidly. “We’ll start again tomorrow. We’ve done everything we could have done in one day.”

“Can we... Can we cuddle for a bit?”

“W-what...” I can feel my cheeks warm up and I freeze at the unexpected request. Her smile grows as she looks at me.

“Look how cute you are. And... don’t worry about it. Let’s drink our tea.” Relief turns to disappointment fast as she doesn’t waste any time before changing the subject, bringing Pepi closer to her, stroking her lovingly. “This tea was brought by the countess’ favorite merchant. I don’t know where he finds some of these things. He must be a dealer.”

“Umm...”

“What’s wrong, Wesley?”

It takes me some time to gather my words in a coherent sentence. “We can... cuddle if you want.” Maybe I’m making a bigger deal out of this than it is.

A gentle smile appears on her face and she takes my hand, leading me to a tiny bedroom, where we plop on a bed that is barely wide enough for both of us. It isn’t really. If we were to lie down next to each other there wouldn’t have been enough space. But her arms are wrapped around me, head on my chest and I can feel her relaxing as I lay my hand on her shoulder. Her now even messier than before hair is tickling my nose, and I can feel a pleasant, subtle soapy scent. She’s been working hard pretty much every moment I’ve seen her. It’s good to finally see her rest.

I, on the other hand, am still tense and I can’t seem to relax completely.

“Thank you.” Her words are muffled against my shirt. “I don’t like admitting it, but I’m really tired.”

“Of course you are.”

“I mean... not physically. That too, but... I’ve been so worried for Ilya.” Her words turn to lazy whispers and I can barely hear her under the constant roll of the rain pouring down. “And it’s nice to cuddle someone else besides Pepi.” She lets out a small chuckle. Hearing her name, Pepi meows, peeking inside the room, and then she hops onto the bed and on my chest, next to Portia’s head. She kisses the cat’s nose, and the animal closes her eyes and proceeds to purr.

“She sleeps all day, what a lazy, spoiled brat.” I can feel her laughing against my body and I loosen up a little. “You must be worried too. With all this sudden responsibility thrown on your shoulders.”

“I guess so... I don’t get countesses knocking on my doors every day, asking me to investigate their late husbands’ murders.” My laugh is filled with tension and I don’t think I can get rid of that too soon.

Portia looks up at me, “You’ll do good, I know it.” And she kisses my cheek. “Let’s try not to think about it for a while, alright?” She continues as she intertwines her fingers with mine.

I nod and relax as she lays her head back on my chest. She doesn’t comment on my quickening heartbeat, though I know she can feel it.

“We should do this more often.” She yawns and, before I realize it, we fall into an easy, sleepy conversation about random things. We talk just to prevent ourselves from falling asleep and just spend some more time with one another. She tells me about the day she met Pepi, about Nahara, who taught her how to fight, about Mazelinka, who raised her, about her brother and the adventures they’ve been through. I play with her hair, while I tell her about Asra’s sneak sweaters, about the unusual regulars at the shop, about Faust and the salamander back home. At some point we fall asleep under the lull of the rain, holding each other close, my fingers tangled in her locks, our legs jumbled together.


	3. Where you bind Lucio's ghost to you and you spend a night together

After the spell is done, I instantly feel all my strength leave me, and I stumble to my feet exhausted. I’ve just bounded a ghost to me, and not any ghost. The count looks at his hands and an ominous grin stretches his lips. He looks more human now, but his expression and the red light glowing in his eyes tell another story. He hurries to a dusty mirror and the grin grows wider.

“There I am! Handsome again!”

Mercedes and Melchior waggle their tails happily, tailing him wherever he goes, and when he’s done admiring himself, he focuses his attention on them, kneeling and petting their heads, laughing.

“Did you miss me?” The animals lick his face and he seems delighted at reuniting with them.

Then he finally looks at me again as I prop myself against one of the bed posts. I didn’t expect this to take such a toll on me. If it wasn’t for the adrenaline I’d probably have just fallen asleep right here.

I meet his gaze, which is as mischievous as before. His expressions softens superficially as he approaches me, and I unconsciously take a tiny step back.

“Whoa, what’s wrong?” He asks as I almost stumble down, golden hand grabbing me by the arm. If he was more corporeal than that, it would have hurt, both because of the grip and the sharp edges of the artificial arm. “I think this dusty room is doing you no good, huh. We should get out of here. I’ve been rotting in this place for so long. I want to go outside, I want people to see me, I want-“ He stops his litany when he finally looks back at me from the door and sees my scowl. “What’s wrong?” He smiles. “Of course, you’ll get everything you want too! I’m like this again thanks to you. I’m, well... almost as good as new.”

“Count, I know you’re eager to go out, but... I need to rest.”

“Oh. Right, right... It is past midnight after all.” His smile now shows a facsimile of understanding.

I can’t quite seem to calm down.

“I’ll take you to your room.”

And so he does, although I’ve never told him how to get there. I try to regain my composure and walk without his help as we wander the empty halls, previously so full of life. Everything seems so dead now. Lucio’s mind seems to be somewhere else, antsy, needing more, just partly satisfied. He _has_ been there alone for three years after all, I can understand or try to understand how horrible that must have been. And besides that, he had the body of a monster too, if that could be called a body.

“You can call me Lucio, by the way.” He says as we enter the guest room. “You saved my... ugh... whatever this thing that’s not yet life is, after all.”

“How did you know where my room was?”

He smirks as he closes the door behind him, the lights from the hallway disappearing beyond, leaving us in almost complete darkness.

“I may be have been stuck to that room, but I could walk around. Not far, but enough to be able to find out what’s going on in the palace.” His smile seems to fade from his voice when he continues, “That’s pretty much how I stayed sane. Probably. I can’t really tell.” I can gradually catch his features again as my eyes adjust to the faint moonlight. A bitter smile settled on his face. “People don’t seem to like me too much here, huh?”

The bed is so close and yet so far, and I try to will myself to move towards it, unsuccessfully.

“But I’m sure Vesuvia is going to be elated at my return!” Hi grins again, confident. “Oh, you don’t know how hard it was to have no one see me, no one rule over. No one to revere me like they used to. Even scaring them got old really fast.” He chuckles, and his slightly reverberating voice reminds me that now he is actually haunting me. “Oh, how I missed being heard!” He starts pacing around, threading a hand through his hair. Under all this dramatic act that he’s been putting on at least since we arrived in this room, there seems to be _something_ real.

I don’t remember Lucio at all. All I know is a vague feeling of danger that seems to follow him and old stories. Not great stories. Despite the uncertainty his presence puts me in, I do feel sorry for what he’s been through. Although I can’t judge if it was deserved or not. _How_ did he even die? The question nags at my brain, but I feel way too tired to utter a word. Interrogations will have to wait for tomorrow.

He keeps talking, “It feels good not seeing the same sights I see every day. Even if this is not _much_ of an improvement. You go to bed.” He strolls out on the balcony, and I finally lay down, letting a deep sigh escape me. My eyes close immediately only to open seconds later. I close them again, only to reopen them and look at Lucio, who seems to be trying to enjoy this sort of new freedom. When he steps back in, I can see on his face that he only somehow succeeded.

“Can’t take my eyes off me?” That smirk again. “Understandable. But maybe you should sleep.”

“I don’t think I can.”

“Oh, why is that?” He sits on the edge of the bed, seemingly concerned. “I can’t give you much privacy right now, but...” He proceeds to lay down next to me. “If you need to sleep in someone’s arms I can provide that for you.” I stare at him with all the shock I can muster. “What?” He looks back at me, offended, resting his head against his palm. “You know I... need this too. Just now I could see the trees moving in the wind, I could hear it... but I couldn’t feel it. I think umm... Those years didn’t have a good effect on me.” He forces a laugh.

Is he trying to say he’s lonely? Or that he just needs to feel something? Or maybe he’s just trying to fool me. I don’t know and I can’t judge it right in the state my mind is right now.

“Alright...” I respond, even knowing that sleep will come even harder, if at all.

He gathers me in his arms, and for some time I stare into darkness, on the brick of falling asleep. Lucio is still, too still, since he doesn’t have the need to breathe. I’m so tired that I manage to doze off a few times, only to wake up again every time. He only reacts when I startle as I come back to reality and remember where I am.

“Had a nightmare?”

“I really don’t think I can sleep.”

“Then I’ll keep you company.” He shifts his position and props his head on his palm again, while his golden arm is draped around me. “I haven’t slept in three years, I get it.” He smirks as he looks at me.

I feel only slightly less tired than before, and knowing that it won’t go away I can just pray for the morning to come faster. Or I could go to Nadia right now and tell her about what I’ve done. Before I get to ponder the idea anymore, he continues.

“So when do you think I can come back? Come back for real.” I don’t know if it’s because I’ve regained some of my senses, but his tone now seems different. Colder. And more unabashed. I can feel his fingers fidgeting impatiently on my hip.

“I don’t know... I don’t know how to bring you back to life. I’ll have to talk to Asra about it. He might know a way.” He huffs derisively.

“Pff, Asra. I doubt he’ll want to help me. You, on the other hand...”

“He will tell me if he knows a way. He’s my master. My... friend.”

“Master? You don’t need him. You can find a way, I’m sure. You have so much power.” His gaze trails down on my body, hungry for something. “Look what you did to me.”

To be honest, Asra keeps telling me something similar. I doubt him all the time, but now that there’s another person saying it, it feels like an affirmation of those words. I _did_ this. Who’s to say I can’t do more?

“Oh, of course, I wouldn’t abuse your power. I’ll reward you. Anything you desire. Just say it and it’s yours.” He savors every word, as if just talking of riches and power brings him so much pleasure. He missed it, I can see. But who wouldn’t? If I were him wouldn’t I miss all I lost too? “Or is it more that you want? You want power, my dear?” I shiver as the metal – or at least what is supposed to be metal – of his finger caresses my jaw. “You could do whatever you want. Doesn’t that sound enticing?”

I gulp, gathering my thoughts, which are now all over the place.

“Didn’t you say I was already powerful?”

“Oh, of course. But I didn’t mean _that_ kind of power. I meant _my_ kind of power. The one that makes people fear and bow to you. That makes them cling to your every word.” His voice is quiet in the night, seeming to come from everywhere. “Your kind of power combined with my kind of power. How’s that?” He’s smiling, looking not exactly at me anymore. “Wouldn’t you like to have Vesuvia at our feet?”

I blink a few times, mulling over the words inside my head to make sure I understood him properly.

“What...? But Nadia...”

“Forget Nadia. That was a failed marriage from the beginning. She didn’t want to be here in the first place. She wouldn’t stand in our way. And even if she did...” His hand slides down my side, resting on my hip again. “What couldn’t we do together?”

“We could find a way...” I catch myself saying, Yes, we _could_ find a way.

Two opposite instincts pull at me, and I’m beginning to think there is no middle way anymore. Because I’m afraid that if I accept Lucio’s request of bringing him back I won’t be able to stop myself from accepting everything he offers me. His proposition is, indeed, dangerously attractive. Too good to be true. But if I don’t... I’ll never know what I lost.


	4. Where Nadia shows Portia her birthplace

The capital city of Prakra was as colorful and friendly as Portia had expected, maybe even more so. The rustle of the busy streets reminded her of Vesuvia’s market, except here she couldn’t walk hand in hand with Nadia without pretty much anyone batting an eyelash. Or at least not in the way they did back home.

“How come people don’t recognize you here?”

“I _am_ wearing some inconspicuous attire today. I believe I don’t stand out at all.”

Portia blinked as she looked at her, as that was not true at all. While people didn’t seem to know she was Prakra’s princess, the deep purple veil draped over her head was adorned with fine details, glinting ever so slightly in the Prakran sun, and her elegant robes in shades of violet and pink, hemmed with gold, fit her body perfectly, custom made and waiting for her back at the palace. The small rubies hanging to her ears and around her neck and the gold bracelets completed the look a little too perfectly for her to be just an ordinary person.

However, the veil coupled with the crowd surrounding them seemed to be a sufficient disguise for now.

“I do hope you like your outfit, Portia, however modest it is.”

Portia’s cheeks grew just a shade darker, as they were already pink in the scorching heat.

“What are you talking about? I’ve never worn something so fancy in my life, Nadia! It feels weird...” She blurted out.

“Oh, if you don’t like it, I can have another one arranged in no time!“

“N-no, that’s not what I meant! I love it. I just feel like I shouldn’t wear something like this.”

Nadia stopped in the middle of the road, mild shock in her eyes as she watched her, turning Portia to her and taking hold of her other hand as well.

“Portia, don’t ever say such a thing. You deserve the best and I _will_ make sure you get it.” She smiled reassuringly, thumbs caressing the back of her hands, leaving Portia speechless for a while. People were passing by, paying them no mind.

“I-I’m just not used to it. But I appreciate it, really. Your and your dad’s efforts.”

“If you’re not comfortable... we can find something else later if you really want.” She resumed walking, intertwining their fingers. “Oh, I know, we could go through the market right now! What do you say?” Nadia’s gaze sparkled with excitement in a way Portia has never seen before. She seemed to be really glad to be home and to show her around.

“Weren’t we starving moments ago?” Portia laughed, followed by Nadia a few moments later.

“Yes, you’re right.”

Huge palm leaves were cradles by the slight wind unbothered up above as down here crowds were going every which way, teeming with life. Street food and flower vendors were loud as they passed by them at every corner. Somewhere over there, some kids were playing in the cool fountain trying to get away from the heat. Most people were wearing bright colors or almost nothing at all. Everything was delightful.

“I do hope you’ll be enjoying yourself while we’re here.”

“I am enjoying every moment.” She responded, turning to her, face lit up with joy. “I love this place and I can’t wait to see more of it!” Nadia’s expression mirrored hers before she leaned down and pressed a quick kiss against her lips.

“Why are we not eating at the palace, though? Can’t the royal cooks make... basically anything.”

“Of course they can. But... I thought we’d go sightseeing with this occasion. And it would be more pleasant to eat out, wouldn’t it? Spiced swordfish in the palace is great, but it’s even greater out here, among everyone. Besides, we’ll eat there plenty.”

Soon after, they stopped at a tiny tavern. The old, chipped sign displayed a name Portia couldn’t read. Finding a table took a few good minutes and it required them to scurry towards it before anyone else could get there before them.

“Oh, I haven’t been here in so long!” Almost immediately, a young girl appeared next to them, startling Portia. But the girl only threw her a passing glance, mostly trying not to stare at Nadia as she spoke in Prakran. The two had a quick exchange and she was gone as soon as she had come.

“Do you think she knows you?”

“I... I think she might. I haven’t seen her since she was a little girl! Oh, how time passes.”

“You know her?”

“She is part of the family who owns the place. I’m not sure if she remembers me though.”

“I mean, who would forget you, Nadia?”

“Oh, you flatter me!” She laughed, playfully scooting closer to Portia.

They talked some more until the dishes arrived. Nadia seemed fascinated by Portia’s adventures on the sea, and now had the chance to hear more about the times when she met Nahara while she was asleep. She was even a little jealous, but it was nice indeed to share that and many other tales. The stories had to wait for now though, as the girl returned with their food, steaming and smelling like heaven. Two refreshing pints of beer accompanied the fish.

“Beer doesn’t traditionally feet this dish, but I thought you’d like it.”

Nadia let out a satisfied sigh as she took the first mouthful of swordfish.

“This is excellent!”

As she dug in herself, Portia caught the young girl from before out of the corner or her eye stealing glances at Nadia.

The spice didn’t hit immediately, but as it did, it seemed to enhance the aroma of the fish even more. She tried to guess the ingredients used, but apart from a couple she could only tell there were some Prakran ones she didn’t know about. This was much better than the one they used to have in Vesuvia. This was how it was supposed to be.

“This is delicious!” She mumbled, mouth full. For a second there she forgot Nadia was a countess, and furthermore, here, a princess even. Even in this place, she was elegant. It seemed like she couldn’t not be. But also it looked like she didn’t mind her lack of manners. What _will_ make her let her guard down and be... just her? At this point, Portia knew this elegance _was_ a part of her, but she couldn’t be like that every moment of her life, no matter how probable it seemed to her. She thought back to the times when she was asleep. Even then, she had the same royal aura surrounding her.

“What’s on your thoughts?” Nadia asked, seeing as she didn’t talk anymore.

“...Bottoms up!” She responded after a pause, lifting her pint, grinning, challenge in her eyes. Nadia raised an eyebrow, catching on and following her.

“As they say... bottoms up!” They clinked their glasses and emptied them in one long round, before putting them down with a heavy thud.

“That’s what you need on a day like this.” Nadia commented. “Which means pretty much every day around here.” Despite the vigorous beer drinking, she quickly returned to her usual demeanor.

“Wow, I didn’t know you had it in you?”

“Me?” She stared at her, offended. “You insult me. Though I’d rather my sisters don’t find out I did that...”

“Stays between us.” Portia winked at her, making her laugh. “But we should do more things that will stay between us. What do you say we make more secrets?”

“How bold if you.” She sat up straight, not letting her out of her eyes. “I like it. What do you propose?”

“I propose we pay and get out of here first.”

And so they did, and once they left, Portia took the lead this time, heading towards where they came from. Although obviously curious, Nadia didn’t ask anything, just waiting to be surprised. Just as they were passing by the fountain they had passed before, Portia suddenly stopped.

“Why don’t we rest for a bit?” She walked towards the margin of the fountain.

“This was not the kind of secret I-“ She gasped, sentence interrupted, as water splashed against her skin, cold and making her clothes stick. Portia was smiling, mischievous like a kitten. “Oh, you won’t get away with this, you know that.” Nadia herself splashed her this time, dampening her curls and making her giggle.

The fight continued for a while as their laughter resounded loud through the air, but not loud enough to stand out too much against the general noise.

Without warning, and taking Portia aback, Nadia lifted her robes and stepped over the hedge of the fountain in the most inelegant elegant way. Her veil had half fallen off her head and locks of disheveled hair were visible from underneath. Her cheeks were red with joy. Portia had to take a break to just take in the uncharacteristic image. She didn’t think she had ever seen her so carefree before, and it was beautiful.

“Do you want me to carry you in?” She said between peals of laughter. The next second, Portia was next to her, hands around her cheeks and kissing her. She felt Nadia’s fingers in her wet mess of a hair as she kissed her back sweetly, before whispering against her lips, “You’re absolutely not allowed to tell anyone about this.”

“Anyone besides... the tens of people that are here right now?”

“Shut up.” And Nadia kissed her again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had more planned for this, but I figured this was enough

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and prompt suggestions are appreciated!


End file.
